A Stopover in Cologne, Germany
*POST UPDATED MARCH 2024.
Hi friends! As you may or may not know, Fiancé & I recently visited the western German city of Cologne. A trip to Germany wasn’t initially on the cards for us this summer, but when we ran into an extortionately priced flight home from Bologna to Dublin, Cologne was our saving grace. From Bologna, we were being quoted, no joke, three times what we’d normally pay for the exact same flight. Three times! Refusing to spend so much money on a flight out of principle, we widened our search to look for cheap flights to cities we could layover in. When we realized we could fly from Bologna to Cologne, spend one night in Cologne, fly from Cologne to Dublin the next day and still spend less than one direct flight – we were sold! And so, we found ourselves with a short stopover in Cologne, Germany!
A stopover is basically the exact same as a layover, just slightly longer; anything under 24-hours is a layover, and anything over is a stopover. Including a slight delay on our flight into Cologne, we ended up with just under 26-hours in the city. As neither of us had ever visited before, our plan was to take it easy – walk around, see the highlights, and eat + drink all the German goods on offer.
Below is a list of everything we got up to during our time in Köln – sleeping, eating, drinking, and tourist-ing! Enjoy!
getting there
Getting to Cologne was pleasingly easy! Here are the steps we took:
• from Bologna, we few direct into Cologne Bonn Airport. The flight from Bologna took about an hour and a half, cutting our overall journey back to Dublin nicely down the middle.
• Cologne Airport is located a mere 12km from the city centre, so getting in & out is extremely easy! We took the S-Bahn from the train station located inside the airport straight into the Hauptbahnhof, the central station.
• the train into the city takes around 15-minutes, and, as far as I’m aware, runs every 15/20-minutes depending on the time of day. Our tickets cost €3 each, one way, and we bought them at a machine in the station. It’s an extremely handy service! More information on train/bus services here.
• the Hauptbahnhof is located smack bang in the centre of the city, right next to Cologne Cathedral, and is likely only a short walk away from wherever you’re going. Our hotel was just a 9-minute walk away!
Easy-peasy, right?
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
where we stayed
Hear me out: in order to make this little stopover through Germany worth it, we had to keep our accommodation costs low. Where we ended up wasn’t exactly our first choice of hotels – it was reminiscent of our Luxembourg hotel – but it cost us less than €80 a night!
Hotel Monte Christo // no frills, but good as a budget option with an ideal location less than 10-minutes from the Cathedral. We somehow found ourselves in an airplane themed room complete with overhead locker storage, air-hostess carts, and even a window panel! It was a little gimmicky, but fun for one night. Other than the plane side of things, there was a great shower and our room was clean, but there was no AC. The owner gave off some semi-unsettling vibes, but Fiancé thinks he’s likely harmless and I’m crazy. I also found it a little disconcerting that the owner was the only other person we ever saw or heard around the building, but who knows… Address: Große Sandkaul 24, 50667 Köln
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
where we ate
The way the timing of our trip worked out, we managed to squeeze in two lunches, one dinner, and one breakfast of sorts. One lunch was more traditional than the second, but sometimes needs must! Here’s where we hit:
breakfast
Bakery Merzenich // I do believe this is a chain, but I’d read about their Berliner doughnuts so many times before arriving in the city that we simply had to try some. Spoiler alert: they’re amazing! So pillow-y and perfectly sugared, we almost had two each! Nothing better than a doughnut to start your morning – am I right or am I right?! We also nabbed two armchair seats right beside the window and they were surprisingly comfortable! Would recommend. Address: Minoritenstraße 2, 50667 Köln
a stopover in cologne
lunch
Brauerei zur Malzmühle // a traditional brauhaus we were drawn to after watching Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. We walked through the door for a late lunch about 3.5-minutes after they opened for the day, and it was already packed; we could barely believe it! Despite this, we somehow managed to nab a great table nestled against the top wall of the main dining room. To eat, I went for Currywurst served with chips and red cabbage, while Fiancé opted for Smoked Spicy Polish Sausage with sauerkraut & fried potatoes – both were delicious! See also: where we drank Kölsch, below. Would recommend. Address: Heumarkt 6, 50667 Köln
Five Guys // I told you one of our lunch spots was less traditional than the other! Five Guys in Cologne is just as reliable as a Five Guys anywhere else, and for that we are grateful. We devoured a cheeseburger each, fries to share, and the only cold bottle of Becks they had. Everything was delightfully greasy and salty, which is exactly what we were after. Our only gripe with the place is the price: €35 for just those 4 things! It’s crazy! Despite this: would recommend. Address: An d. Rechtschule 3, 50667 Köln
a stopover in cologne
dinner
Gaffel am Dom // another traditional brauhaus, located directly beside the cathedral. We were actually still pretty full from our late lunch by the time dinner rolled around, but we powered through it. Feeling brave, we decided to share the Himmel un Ääd dish and a veal schnitzel – one adventurous choice and one old reliable. Himmel un Ääd is a much beloved classic in northern Germany, consisting of black pudding with mashed potatoes, fried onion, and apple sauce. The thing is, we love all four ingredients separately, but sadly neither of us were mad about the dish as a whole – it was too goopy to be pleasurable. The schnitzel, thankfully, was a delight. See also: where we drank Kölsch, below. Address: Bahnhofsvorpl. 1, 50667 Köln
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
where we drank Kölsch
Kölsch is a treasured local beer from Cologne, typically served in small 200ml glasses. Although it’s actually classed as a pale ale, it tastes more like a lager or pilsner, and is verrryy easy to drink. The waiters walk around with Kölsch filled trays and if your glass is empty, they just keep bringing you a new one until you put your beermat on top to signal you’re finished. We set out to try as many different Kölsch as possible during our stopover, and thus found ourselves on a mini Kölsch-crawl of sorts, sampling one each at a few different breweries. A word of warning: some of the waiters were *cough* less than friendly *cough* when they realised we were only having one Kölsch each. Follow in our footsteps at your own peril!
a stopover in cologne
Peters Brauhaus // home to Peters Kölsch – our favourite of the trip! It was super smooth and not too fruity. The brauhaus itself is also quite lovely, with a great stained-glass ceiling in the dining room. No overtly rude run-ins with the staff here, just a slightly less-than-friendly “leave the money on the table”. Address: Mühlengasse 1, 50667 Köln
Brauerei zur Malzmühle // our second favourite – the Mühlen-Kölsch. We enjoyed several with our lunch, and it was lovely! However, Fiancé was hoodwinked into having an extra one by the waiter, which we thought was cheeky. Despite putting his beermat on top of the glass the second he finished drinking, the waiter came over with a new one and said “the order was already put through, you were too late” and charged us for it. It was only something small, but it spoiled our otherwise good experience and he lost his tip – oh! well! See more: where we ate lunch, above.
Gaffel am Dom // home to the Gaffel Kölsch, our third favourite of the trip. We enjoyed a few glasses with dinner on our one night in town, and I’m pleased to report that there were no run-ins with the staff! Our waitress brought Kölsch when we wanted it, and stopped when we were done – imagine! What service! See more: where we ate dinner, above.
Früh am Dom // the only Kölsch I’d tried before visiting Cologne, and the one place I absolutely would refuse to return to. The Kölsch was fine, but the waiter was exceptionally rude when he heard we didn’t want another; he huffed & puffed, told us we couldn’t pay by card, and seemed genuinely annoyed that he’d served us in the first place. We were left with an extremely sour taste in our mouths, and the overall impression that Früh had no interest in customer-service, but purely on cashing in. AVOID.
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
where we tourist-ed
There are apparently some great museums in the city – I’ve read especially wondrous things about the Chocolate Museum – but we just didn’t have the time. As well as the few items listed below, we also attempted to visit Great St. Martin Church, but Google screwed us over with incorrect opening times. Sigh. Each of the following attractions are totally free to visit and can all easily be seen in one short day in town. Here’s where we hit:
a stopover in cologne
Cologne Cathedral // apparently, the biggest attraction in all of Germany, averaging around 20k visitors a day! The sheer size of the cathedral makes it hard to miss – it’s overwhelmingly massive! We spent a good 30-40 minutes inside, exploring the crypt, wandering, and generally gawping around ever corner. One of the highlights for us was a large golden sarcophagus located inside the treasury, said to contain the remains of the Three Wise Men. Wild! Added bonus: the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! A must visit! Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln
Love Lock / Hohenzollern Bridge // walking along here was so lovely! Fiancé & I ambled to the other side & back, looking at all of the thousands of different locks – it’s so romantic! The bridge itself is quite a sight to see even without the love locks. Added bonus: there is a great view back towards the cathedral from the opposite side! A must visit.
Fischmarkt // the historic city fish market – but now essentially just a colourful spot to get some pretty pictures. Apparently 90% of Cologne was flattened during WW2, and with that went many of these colourful old cute houses, which the people of Cologne painstakingly rebuilt to look like the originals. And come on, they’re pretty cute – right? Would recommend. Address: Am Leystapel, 50667 Köln
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
my overall impression of cologne
Just to round up, here are a few quick thoughts about my overall impression of Cologne.
• sadly, we didn’t really get a good vibe from anyone we interacted with in Cologne. Every single person we talked to was brash, entirely indifferent to our existence, or just straight up rude. I have never experienced this anywhere else in Germany and was actually quite sad about it! However, my sister visited the city shortly before us and she had an entirely different experience, filled with loads of friendly staff and strangers. Wild!
• I’ll be honest with you: neither of us really loved Cologne. Yes, I’m glad we went and got to see the highlights – but I likely won’t be returning. The city itself was pleasant enough to walk around, but our view of Cologne as a whole was tainted by the unfriendly interactions we had almost everywhere we went. A pity, but.
• ultimately, if I find myself on a stopover in Germany again, I’ll be opting for tried & true favourites: Bremen, Berlin, or my very favourite, Munich.
a stopover in cologne
a stopover in cologne
And there we have it: A Stopover in Cologne, Germany! What did you think? Have you been to the western German city before? I’d love to hear any thoughts or comments – hit me up using the box below! Thanks for reading, friendos 🙂
Hugs,
Vicki & Rob xo
related posts:
Bremen, Germany
Munich City Guide
Berlin Travel Guide | 4 Days in the German Capital